Sun-dried tomato pasta with spinach and bacon in a light white wine cream sauce with plenty of garlic, basil, and Parmesan cheese!
If you’re looking for even more easy pasta recipes, don’t miss this dump-and-bake shrimp marinara, a pan of pesto cream pasta, this popular pasta with sausage and spinach, vegetable lasagna, feta tomato pasta, and this Italian sausage pasta!
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Crispy, crumbled bacon adds so much flavor to this hearty pasta dinner. The easy recipe is a good option to have in your back pocket for those nights when you’re craving a restaurant-quality dish, but you don’t want to leave the house. In about 40 minutes, you can stir together the satisfying and delicious supper complete with your favorite pasta shapes, sweet sundried tomatoes, smoky bacon, and nutritious fresh spinach.
Plus, don’t forget plenty of white wine, cream, and garlic for depth, as well as freshly-grated Parmesan cheese for a rich, indulgent finish. You’ll feel like you’re dining in an Italian café — from the comfort of your own cozy kitchen!
Important Tips Before You Get Started
- Look for sun dried tomatoes packed in oil. These are soft, tender, and full of flavor! I like the julienne-cut variety, since it eliminates the need for extra chopping. Do not use dehydrated sundried tomatoes for this recipe.
- Just about any small pasta shapes work well in this dish. I’ve shown penne pasta here, but other good options include bow tie, orecchiette, medium shells, and rigatoni.
- Pick a dry white wine that’s a good quality for drinking, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Delicious wine yields a delicious sauce! For an alcohol-free substitute, use additional chicken broth instead.
- A wedge of Parmesan cheese that you grate yourself provides the best creamy, cheesy texture and maximum sharp flavor.
How to Make Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes
This hearty meal is the perfect family-friendly recipe for any night of the week!
- Boil the pasta just until it’s al dente, according to the package instructions. It will continue cooking in the sauce for a few extra minutes at the end, so you don’t want it to be too overdone.
- Drain the pasta, but reserve some of the cooking water to use in the sauce later. Pasta water is a key addition to this homemade sun-dried tomato sauce, since the starchy water thickens and emulsifies the sauce so that it has a richer, smoother texture and clings better to the individual noodles.
- While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon in a large pot or skillet and reserve the drippings. Tip — use a very large skillet or a Dutch oven so that you have plenty of room to toss together all of the pasta, sauce, and spinach at the end.
- Sauté the onion, sun dried tomatoes, and garlic in the bacon drippings (so much flavor there!).
- Gradually add the wine and broth, and eventually the cream and Parmesan, simmering the sauce until it reduces and thickens.
- Gently stir in the cooked pasta, crumbled bacon, and fresh baby spinach leaves. Cook over low heat, just until the spinach wilts.
- Serve the pasta in individual bowls and garnish with extra Parmesan, fresh herbs, and/or crushed red pepper flakes (for some heat!).
What to Serve with Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Pair this easy sun dried tomato pasta recipe with a crisp green salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette, roasted yellow squash, sauteed zucchini, this easy garlic bread recipe, or a pan of no-knead cast iron focaccia.
Storage Tips
- Leftovers will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- I do not recommend freezing this creamy sundried tomato pasta recipe. The pasta tends to get mushy when thawed, and the creamy sauce may separate or “break.”
- To reheat the pasta, place the leftovers in a saucepan or skillet, cover, and warm over low heat just until the dish reaches the desired temperature. Add extra broth or cream to moisten the pasta, if necessary. Be careful not to boil or reheat it for too long, or the pasta will get mushy. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
A creamy sundried tomato pasta with spinach and bacon is an easy-yet-elegant meal!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package short pasta, such as penne, fusilli, rigatoni, or farfalle
- 4 ounces bacon (about 4 strips)
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ cup julienne-cut sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons total)
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, or thyme; crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente. Drain; but reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water to use for the sauce later.
- While the pasta cooks, cook the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan. Coarsely crumble or chop the crispy bacon once it’s cool enough to handle.
- Add the onion to the bacon drippings in the pan. Sauté until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sundried tomatoes and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, broth, and basil. Simmer until the liquid reduces by about half, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer gently, stirring regularly, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly, 3-5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the cooked pasta, crumbled bacon, and spinach to the cream sauce. Gently stir until the sauce coats the pasta and the spinach wilts. Gradually add a little bit of the pasta cooking water to loosen up and thin the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes just before serving.
Notes
Look for sun dried tomatoes packed in oil. These are soft, tender, and full of flavor! I like the julienne-cut variety, since it eliminates the need for extra chopping. Do not use dehydrated sundried tomatoes for this recipe.
For a vegetarian pasta dish, omit the bacon. Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil used to pack the sundried tomatoes. Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 16gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 314mgPotassium: 500mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1681IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 2mg
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Recipe Variations
- If you’re cooking for a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half.
- For a vegetarian pasta dish, omit the bacon. Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil used to pack the sundried tomatoes. Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Use kale or Swiss chard instead of spinach. The heartier leafy greens will require longer to soften and cook, so cover the pot for a few minutes and let them steam before stirring in the cooked pasta.
- Add chicken to the dish for extra protein. Simply brown chicken breasts in the bacon drippings before making the sauce.
- To bulk it up even more, add a can of drained, petite-diced tomatoes or a can of drained, rinsed white beans.
- Add more veggies, such as sliced zucchini or sliced mushrooms.
- Swap out the dried basil and instead use ¼ cup chopped fresh basil when it’s in season. Alternatively, you can use Italian seasoning instead of the dried basil.
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